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A FEW days back, the Narendra Modi government has amended the Public Sector Recruitment Rules retrospectively providing for appointment of candidates from the private sector, to very senior management positions in the central public sector undertakings and also in the PESB (Public Sector Enterprise Selection Board). Obviously, the profit-making blue chip PSUs are the target of the Modi government in this regard. The government's argument is that this will help CPSUs in getting ‘capable and efficient’ hands from the private sector. An expectation is generated that such steps of the Modi government shall help in achieving better performance in the CPSUs.

The CITU, in a statement issued on June 4, has totally rejected such ill-motivated move of the government to induct private sector agents into the management of the highly efficient and profitable CPSUs with huge resource and asset base operating in core and strategic sectors of the economy.

It is very important to note that the experience and the expertise developed in the CPSUs have been captured by the private sector through various means. Take for example, the energy sector. The management of private enterprises in oil and natural gas, coal and power etc are all crowded with senior executives and many former CEOs from the CPSUs. Very important technical and commercial classified information is smuggled by the private sector from the CPSUs. Without such resources from CPSUs, the private big business in the many such industries would not have easily attained their success. Let us not go into the unethical practices of the private sectors here, the CITU statement said.

CITU has condemned the NDA government for this atrocious action. It is an act as well as conspiracy of conspicuously undermining the excellent record of physical and financial performance of the CPSUs and their contribution to economic reconstruction of post-independent India. Thousands of crores of rupees is collected from the CPSUs by the government through various instruments including measures of privatisation and dividend, taxes and duties etc. Now the present design is to sabotage those successful CPSUs from within as a part to its grand-plan of strategic sale of CPSUs announced in this year’s budget. Also the step in question is to push more exploitative, repressive and authoritarian management system of private sector in the CPSUs by the corporative captive Modi government.

CITU has demanded the withdrawal of the amendment and restoration of age old time tested practice. It has called upon the trade union movement and the public sector employees as a whole, irrespective of rank and affiliations, to raise their powerful voice against the brazenly anti-public sector step of the government and mobilise employees to stop entry of private management into the CPSUs.